Need help with my xantia. (Mk1)

[sparksie]

Not really fair to call it Citroen's problem though.
Under specced electrics have been a French hallmark for longer than I've been car conscious.
It's odd that they never got a really bad name for electrical issues, like Volvo did, but anyone in the trade knows about melted harnesses, dashboard conflagrations and, yes, switch gear that doubles an an auxiliary heater.

[van ordinaire]

As my only other experience of French electrics was a Simca Aronde that produced a plume of smoke from the steering column shroud when the indicators were used I can't really comment. However my comments was in the context of Citroën's particular problem: voltage drop due economising on the cable used I'm familiar with (I have Cherokees,remember) but I'd never encountered the idea of fitting relays to protect the light switch until I got a 2CV (with 45w headights!)

[Albinoeke]

Hi again!
I didnt want to make a new thread for this small problem
Just switched my cassette deck out with a "new" cd stereo, i noticed that if i play loud music the fuse would burn, it is a 5a fuse(clock also) which i find pretty weak for its purpose (maybe the old one needed less power?) Do you think its ok to put in a 10-15a instead?

[van ordinaire]

I would have thought 5a was too high (BUT they are the lowest rated fuses generally available) - however, who knows what sort of draw the internal amp in a modern head unit has. Should be in the instructions &/or fitting instructions.

If it is more than 5a, I'd run a new power lead incorporating the correct fuse for the new unit.

[sparksie]

In very simple terms, power in = power out, so if you know the peak output you can work out the theoretical power required.
Most modest head units can manage 4 X 25W peak. Half decent ones will go much more.
4 X 25 = 100W
100W/12V=8.33Amps
Then allow 10% as heat and at least another 10% to run the radio and/or cd drive and your very basic cd/radio needs a minimum of 10 amps.
It would be very risky to put a 10A fuse in a circuit that was designed for a 5A one, so I'd say do as Van Ordinaire says and run a new cable, with a 15A fuse. Don't forget to ground the unit properly, too.

[xantia_v6]

The original stereo had 2 feeds, one fused at 5A, the other Somewhat higher. It seems that your new unit is pulling the high power from the wrong feed.

[white exec]

Many radio/head units have run with with a 10A fuse (original manufacturer fitting) for some time now, so you should be ok with that rating.